A number of clinical diagnostics and biotechnology processes utilize enzymatic amplification of nucleic acids. In particular, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is routinely used to produce multiple copies of sequence-specific nucleic acid molecules in order to facilitate their detection, sequencing, or cloning. As an example, viral and bacteria pathogens are detected in blood and saliva samples by amplifying nucleic acid sequences specific to those pathogens and assaying any amplification product using fluorescence detection. Thus, for a wide range of clinical and non-clinical applications, PCR-based assays are the assay of choice because of their sensitivity and specificity.
Compared to other assays (e.g., immunoassays), however, PCR-based processes are tedious, time consuming, resource-intensive, prone to contamination, and labor intensive. PCR-based assays also require a high level of operator skill and experience. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for devices and methods capable of performing PCR-based processes in an efficient manner that reduces the resources—in terms of both materials and labor—required to effect a PCR-based process and to enable multiplexed detection of multiple nucleic acid targets.